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Shibam
|nickname = |settlement_type = |motto = |image_skyline = Shibam Wadi Hadhramaut Yemen.jpg |imagesize = 300px |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_map = |mapsize = 300px |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Yemen |pushpin_label_position = bottom |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Yemen |coordinates_region = YE |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = |subdivision_type1 = Governorate |subdivision_name1 = Hadhramaut |subdivision_type2 = District |subdivision_name2 = Shibam |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |established_title = |established_date = |established_title2 = |established_date2 = |established_title3 = |established_date3 = 1167 |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = 7000 |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |timezone = GMT+3 |utc_offset = |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |latd=15 |latm=55 |lats=36.98 |latNS=N |longd=48 |longm=37 |longs=36.01 |longEW=E|coordinates_display=h |elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |website = |footnotes = | designation1_free2name = Region | designation1_free2value = Arab States }} }} Shibam ( ) (often referred to as Shibam Hadhramaut) is a town in Yemen. With about 7,000 inhabitants, it is the seat of the Shibam District in the Hadhramaut Governorate. It is famous for its mudbrick-made tower houses. Shibam is thought to have existed since the 2nd century AD. It had been the capital of the Hadramawt Kingdom. Shibam owes its fame to its distinct architecture, which is now on UNESCO's World Heritage Site program to safeguard the human cultural heritage. The houses of Shibam are all made out of mud bricks, but about 500 of them are tower houses, which rise 5 to 16 stories high, with each floor having one or two apartments. This building technique was implemented in order to protect residents from Bedouin attacks. While Shibam has existed for around 2,000 years, most of the city's houses originated during the 16th century. Many, though, have been rebuilt over and over again during the last few centuries. Shibam is often called "the oldest skyscraper-city in the world", and is the earliest example of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction.Old Walled City of Shibam, UNESCO World Heritage Centre The city has the tallest mud buildings in the world, with some of them about 40 meters (130 feet) high, thus being the first high-rise (which need to be at least 75 feet or 23 meters) apartment buildings and tower blocks (excepting the fired brick "insulae" apartment buildings of ancient Rome). The tallest building in the city is the mudbrick minaret which stands at about 53 meters (175 feet) tall. In order to protect the buildings from rain and erosion, the façades are thickly coated and need to be maintained and frequently renovated by the inhabitants. The renovation can be completed by well-practiced workers within a short time. History The first known inscription about the city dates from the 3rd century AD. It was the capital of the Hadramawt Kingdom. Geography The town is located in the central-western area of Hadhramaut Governorate, in the Ramlat al-Sab`atayn desert. Its main road links Sana'a and other cities of western Yemen to the far eastern territories. Nearest towns are Seiyun, seat of an airport, and Tarim, both in the east. Another road, departing from the village of Alajlanya, in the west; links Shibam to Al Mukalla, governorate's capital, located by the Indian Ocean. Architecture Overview Shibam, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, owes its fame to its distinct architecture.The houses of Shibam are all made out of mud brick and about 500 of them are tower houses, which rise 5 to 11 stories high, with each floor having one or two rooms. This architectural style was used in order to protect residents from Bedouin attacks. While Shibam has been in existence for an estimated 1,700 years, most of the city's houses originate from the 16th century. Many, though, have been rebuilt numerous times in the last few centuries. Shibam is often called "the oldest skyscraper city in the world" or "the Manhattan of the desert", and is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction.Old Walled City of Shibam, UNESCO World Heritage Centre The city has some of the tallest mud buildings in the world, with some of them over 30 meters (100 feet) high, thus being early high-rise apartment buildings. In order to protect the buildings from rain and erosion, the walls must be routinely maintained by applying fresh layers of mud. The nearby town of Tarim contains the tallest structure in the Wadi Hadhramaut valley, the mudbrick minaret of the Al-Mihdhar mosque. It stands at a height of approximately 53 meters (175 feet.) This is the tallest minaret in the southern Arabian peninsula.p. 9, The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America, James Bamford, Random House, Inc., 2009, ISBN 0-307-27939-1. In 1999 the documentary film Architecture of Mud was made on the subject by the filmmaker Caterina Borelli. Threats The city was heavily affected by flooding in 2008. The foundations of many of the buildings in the city were compromised by the flood waters, eventually leading to their collapse. It was also the target of an Al Qaeda attack in 2009. Gallery File:Shibam door.JPG|City gate File:Shibam2.JPG|View of some skyscrapers File:Shibam Yemen Interior.jpg|Two buildings on a street inside the town See also *Hadhramaut Sultanate *Kowloon Walled City *Yemen References External links *Official Website of the Al-Quaiti Royal Family of Hadhramaut * Shibamonline.net * Shibam on archnet.org * World Heritage Site * Travel Adventures Category:Populated places in Hadhramaut Governorate Category:World Heritage Sites in Yemen Category:Arabic architecture Category:Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners Category:Archaeological sites in Yemen